Winston's Urban Prospects

211 - the address of "Krankie's Coffee Shop" which caters to the alternative crowd and the nearby residents of the tobacco-factories-renovated-to-lofts in Downtown Winston.


The outdoor seating area is simple. Rows of theatre seats are neatly arranged around the perimeter of the outdoor space. An occasional sofa or coffee table add to the comfort.


Shanti, my favorite human photo subject, takes a seat in a wooden theatre seat and flips through the local alternative journal - "The Yellow Jacket"

"Chevy Repair Kit"


Local girls laugh over nearly losing their hearing from the passing train's horn. Their body art accentuated a typical day in artistic downtown Winston.


Where there were once windows are now bricks.


This duck is a common "tag" around downtown Winston. I'm just waiting to find the goose.

If I was Michael Jordan I would have played my best game today. I am extremely proud of these photos as they represent one of my first ventures into street photography. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. - EMC

Backyard America

Three months have gone by since I moved away from Florida to "Smalltown America." Past posts have given you insights to my newest surroundings and the pace of life I am living. Admittedly, I am starting to enjoy this slower tempo. Somehow I am slowing down with it. I have slowed down enough to where walking is a new and enjoyable activity. Most of the time I don't have any particular destination and sometimes I wish I would get lost in the woods. But, there is always that city person in me that fears the wild things. Heck, bugs are enough to keep me from wandering too far. At the first entanglement in a spiderweb boobie trapped across a trail, I am instantly reminded that I am in the wrong domain and head back indoors.

Living in Kernersville has offered me some insight into a life that I somehow wanted as a kid. I always wanted a go-kart or 4-wheeler, but because we lived in a neighborhood the roads were not safe for a kid on a toy car. The daydream of living in a place like this faded sometime during high school when I discovered FFA.

I look forward to what the North Carolina seasons have in store. According to a few co-workers, the annual Halloween party is often held in a warehouse complete with hay covered floors, beer kegs, lighting, smoke, a pig roast, live music, and the prerequisite ticket to entry - an elaborate costume. I imagine by then the temperature will have dropped a few degrees and the leaves will have changed all sorts of colors. Shortly thereafter winter will creep it's way into the forecast. Friendships will have grown and the life I got to see on TV will play out in front of me. Calendars will resemble the vistas near the mountains. 4th of July celebrations will feel different. Battlegrounds surround the towns we visit. Food will have a new taste. The air will smell unique. A walk in a neighbor's backyard...well, that might be dangerous around these parts. ;)

Yesterday I wandered across the street to our temporary neighbor's house. I had always expressed an interest to him in taking photographs around his property. He kind of just laughed and more than likely thought to himself - "Ah, dayemn city bo-ah. Nuttin' butd juhnk 'e-rouwnd heyer. Dohn't knowa why yewd wanna take pidchers of dis junk." But, I suppose that's just what happens when you have lived in a place for a long time. His yard is truly a treat. To the west is a sloping field ending in forest. In the evening time the sun tucks neatly below the ridgeline of trees leaving nothing but gold across the fields. To the north is a forest with trails leading to a secluded spring. Off to the east...well, development is moving in. There are new roads and new houses being built. And finally, towards the south is the residence where I am currently living. In his backyard is a fearless white German Shephard. If you wander too close you risk an unwelcoming introduction. "Boss" - as he so appropriately named - is the keeper of the apple trees, woodshed, sunflower rows, and all others tempted to wander close to the back porch. I crept silently and approached from the east. Boss didn't hear me or see me, but I carefully found my way into the auto yard where the real gems were. There are 2 or 3 MG's, 2 International Scout pickup trucks, and a few other cars that have long been forgotten. The appeal they offer to the photographer is to die for. Perhaps that's why I nearly forgot Boss was within a chain length's reach. I moved quickly. I brought the most modest equipment with me - a monopod and vintage Nikon FG loaded with 100 speed 35mm Reala film. My wandering paid off beautifully.

As I wrapped up my impromptu sunset photo shoot, I stopped and stared at a property that will probably someday go away with the advances of people like myself. Just up the street is an old tobacco barn slowly being reclaimed by the earth. It might never make it to become a piece of rubble. Perhaps one day McDonald's will reclaim that land to sell more of it's "wonderful" food. Some of the road is covered in gravel. The people that have lived here for so long cannot keep this town the way it has been forever. I can appreciate this place with a set of outside eyes and it has truly been a great experience for me to photograph in it's true setting. I hope to wander out into those fields again before we move out of our rental home and capture more of the essence of what makes this town so humble. Perhaps a few prints in a rustic frame might be a nice gesture to thank our neighbor for allowing me to wander in his backyard in "Smalltown America."

New, Old Gear

Nine months have gone by since I last set outall of our gear for a photo. Today I took a few studio shots of some of my newly acquired favorites. Pictured above is a 35mm Nikon FG with the MD-14 grip and auto winder. Below is a Yashica Electro 35 GSN. This madness of photography is sickening. It's as if 9 months went by and I just had a baby. I keep buying it stuff. I keep collecting. I have new lenses, but not enough and not the right lengths or specialty. I never have enough. This baby keeps growing. I have to feed the baby. Ok, that's borderline madness speaking there. Seriously though, as if you couldn't already tell by the updates on this blog and my progression since day one, I love photography.

I spend nearly every free moment reading, reviewing, and looking for new challenges. So what's changed since the first blog post here? I carefully examine other photographer's work. I study their techniques, their composition, choice in subject, lighting, etc. I don't think of this as crazy or even obsessive. Ask a college student how much time they spend studying every evening in order to pull of that "A" grade. The only difference is that there is no mid term or final for me, just a hidden opportunity. Perhaps my final is that one moment where I just have to get out of my shell and prove that I can perform, create, and deliver. To answer my own question - nothing has changed since the first day. Nothing will change so long as I constantly strive to create better photos. My camera collection will continue to grow, but smartly with additions to further expand my creativity and learning experiences.

One of my latest pieces of gear is the Yashica Electro 35 GSN rangefinder (35mm). It was a steal at $10 plus $7 shipping. Admittedly, it was a gamble because the seller didn't know anything about it's condition. Luckily, the camera is in great shape and all of its features work. Early last week I made mention of this camera. It was the first camera I had ever seen anyone in our family use. My dad used to take it on all of our vacations and he would sometimes allow me to handle it. Because the camera is manually focused, the time it took for him to compose a shot after posing us all was an eternity. Most of the time we were annoyed because it would be hot or we would be in the middle of crowded tourist trap. Now that we're older we can appreciate all of the pictures he took over the years. Most of them were thankfully in focus.

For Father's Day, I bought my dad one of these vintage gems off of eBay. It came complete with the box, instruction manuals, and leather case. He was thrilled when I gave it to him. Prior to giving it to him I just had to run a roll of film through it to make sure everything was working. Since I didn't have too much time to wander off of the property, I did a quick walk around the house and looked for some interesting subjects. Not much came to mind, but below you'll see what I found. Simple. Afterwards, I went straight back to eBay and bought one for myself.



Sometime next week I will get back a roll of 110mm film. In case you don't remember what 110 film was, check my November 2005 post and look for the "Magimatic" camera. I'll give you a hint - the film looks like a tiny cartridge. These pictures should be interesting so long as the camera actually worked and my film isn't inadvertently ruined. More equipment = more photographs = more fun. This has so far been one great hobby. I never expected I would be this involved, but the feedback has been great and I have enjoyed the challenges of looking for new and unique images.

-EMC

Cruisin'

I haven't ventured out into street photography, but this is the closest I've gotten so far. I took this picture back in May while we were walking the streets in Asheville. I heard the exhaust of the car coming down the street and only had a moment to turn and snap the picture as it came around the corner. A little post production gives it some nightlife "heat."

Duotone Portraiture

When it comes to testing out new in camera and post production techniques, Shanti is always willing to be a good sport and let me shoot away. Back in February, Shanti first posed for me so that I could experiment with makeshift studio lighting in our apartment. Today's entry is no different. I wanted to play with some post production duotoning in order to produce some uniquely colored portraits. The bathroom was perfect for lighting and served as a perfect spot for sample images. Over time, this blog will have many pictures of Shanti.

In the past I have offered to photograph - free of charge - families, children, cars, pets, etc, but haven't really ever had any takers. Experience is worth a lot to me. Diversity makes for great photographs. If you're in the Winston/Triad (NC) area and would like to pose for an aspiring photographer, drop me a line. All I ask in return is a little bit of your time.

Bugs & Weeds - Backyard Beauty

Most weekend days at this tiny house in Kernersville are started out in the yard taking Marley on his morning walk. I spend a lot of time just taking it easy and looking at everything curiously as if I had to make work of capturing it on film. This house is old, creaky, and surrounded with all sorts of bugs, weeds, wildflowers, and all sorts of other things you would expect from a country home. I scratch my head sometimes at trying to figure out what the difference between a weed and a flower is.

Now I'm not much of a botanist, nor am I any good at identifying good bugs from bad ones, but typically if I see one that has all sorts of colors or more wings than I can count, I think it's time to grab the camera. If I'm not mistaken, this little beetle is supposedly a bad thing for the local plants. His shell looks like it has oil spilled on it and makes for a good photo subject.



It's black, yellow, has wings, and some nasty pointy looking legs. Take a picture, run like hell, and hope you don't get stung. This little guy was fairly tame and let me snap a few pictures before buzzing off.


I found this little guy in the back property at the line where the yard maintenance ends and where the "jungle" begins. I noticed that by rustling the weeds with my monopod something would eventually hop or fly out.

What can I say about spiders? They get in the house quite frequently and creep on you when you least expect it. This particular critter scurried across my hand while I was leaning up on the clothes line. I couldn't tell you if it was a good spider or the kind to leave you paralyzed, but it had a cool green splotch on him so I let him live.


This morning's backyard outing was a nice surprise. I got to see a good variety of bugs. Hopefully some birds, rabbits, or other critters will appear. Cardinals and Robins are very common around here. If I can catch one while it's still I'll try and get a few pictures for the blog and for my super fans that are out there watching.

Enjoy.

Stoney Fork Overlook, Blue Ridge Pkwy

"We had better design and build thoughtfully, sensitively, creatively, as we usher men and women into the presence of the natural gods..."

- Stanley William Abbott, Architect of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Breakfast Room Orchids

In my brother's house, just between the kitchen and living room, is a nice little breakfast room with lively colored walls. They probably spend nearly every meal either in that room or out in the living room while watching TV. The faux orchids, matching candle set, and cherry tinted furniture create vivid colors when the light comes in just right.

I shot this photo of Shanti and Marley just after breakfast on Saturday before we headed out to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Porch Sitting

Some of my family came in town this weekend to visit, break good news, wish me well on my birthday (5th), and overall to relax. They leave tomorrow morning (4th), but have enjoyed some well needed time away from Florida. On Saturday we toured two local wineries and went back to my brother's for some great home cooking. I miss having my dad nearby. He makes some damn good rice. Yesterday we took a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway, had lunch by a river, and afterwards did a small hike to a waterfall. Relaxed? Yes we are. These two shots were taken from porch of the Cone Family mansion just off of the Parkway.

Just above is a picture of my dad taking in the view and holding onto his new camera. For Father's Day I bought him a mint condition Yashica GSN rangefinder - the same camera he used to take with him on all of our family vacations when we were growing up. Down below my sister gets lost somewhere between a daydream, porch breeze, and the view off of the front lawn.

Rear View

re·flec·tion - n.

1. The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. Something, such as light, radiant heat, sound, or an image, that is reflected.
3. The folding of a membrane from the wall of a cavity over an organ and back to the wall.
4. The folds so made.
5. Mental concentration; careful consideration.
6. A thought or an opinion resulting from such consideration.